Iowa Golf Courses
Iowa has 444 golf courses for a population of three million, giving it one of the highest per-capita course counts in the country. What stands out is the nine-hole to 18-hole ratio: roughly 245 nine-hole courses compared to about 134 eighteen-hole layouts. Small towns across the state maintain their own community courses, often at Economy pricing with weekend green fees under $25. That network of affordable, accessible golf is hard to match in any other state.
Des Moines anchors the golf scene with courses spread through Ankeny, Norwalk, and the surrounding metro. Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Waterloo, and the Quad Cities around Davenport each support their own clusters. In the northeast, the Driftless Area around Dubuque and Decorah provides the most dramatic terrain in the state, with bluff-top courses offering Mississippi River valley views. Along the western border near Sioux City and Council Bluffs, the Loess Hills create rolling, wind-exposed layouts that play tougher than they look.
Central Iowa is gently undulating farmland where courses rely on tree lines, ponds, and creek beds for definition. The season runs April through October, with the best playing conditions typically in May, June, and September. Summer heat and humidity peak in July and August, pushing tee times earlier in the day. Fort Dodge, Mason City, Marshalltown, and Ames all have course clusters worth exploring for golfers traveling through the middle of the state. Eighteen-hole green fees at daily-fee courses statewide rarely break $60, even at the higher-end layouts.
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At a Glance
345 coursesCourse Type
Price Range
Driving Range
Iowa has 345 golf courses listed in the FairwayDB directory. 112 are 18-hole courses and 227 are 9-hole courses. 175 courses have a driving range on site. Cost tiers range from Economy (227) to Standard (71), Premium (21), Luxury (12), and Elite (4), spread across 22 cities with three or more courses.